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Science Kit Catalog

Home » Resources for Teachers » Science Kit Catalog

Kill-A-Watt Meter

Kill-a-Watt Meter
Description:

The Kill-A-Watt Meter allows students to plug in their every day electrical devices to view the power being drawn by the device in real-time. In addition, students can view the energy consumed over the period of time that their device is plugged in. 

Related activities:
Energy Efficiency - Lighting
Home Energy Consumption
Home Energy Use
How much energy do YOU use?
Part 1- Lesson 3: Home Energy Audit

Large DC Water Pump

Large DC Water Pump
Description:

DC water pumps are tolerant and responsive loads for doing solar experiments. Water pumping is a great application for the technology and provides immediate and visible feedback on how much solar power the circuit is producing. This Large DC Water Pump is a 13.6-Volt 1.8 A load and can be used with four or five of the 3-Volt modules. 

Related activities:

LEDs

LEDs
Description:

These small, low-power light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can be used as a simple load in basic circuit experiments and to show students how to wire together a basic circuit. 

Related activities:
Cost Effective Solar Cells: Engaging with Solar Panels
Creating a Light-Tracking Servo
How might we design a battery that reduces e-waste? Phenomenon and Exploration
Introduction to Circuits
Measuring Voltage Using a Microcontroller

Multimeter

Multimeter
Equipment Type(s):
loads, devices and misc.
Subject area(s):
Calculating power
Description:

Multimeters allow students to quantitatively measure the amount of voltage and current produced by solar modules under various conditions and wired up in myriad configurations. 

Related activities:
50 Year Energy Plan - Unit Plan
Activities and Assessment of Vocab and Units
Can Portable PV Charge Vehicles?
Circuit Analysis With Solar Energy: Measure the Power Consumed by Various Devices
Controlling a Servo

Nature Print Paper

Nature Print Paper
Description:

Like the UV Color Changing Beads, this paper changes color when exposed to ultraviolet radiation, meaning that students can create sun prints as a part of a solar art project. Similar to the beads, the paper can be used to reinforce the effect of solar radiation and that it is a form of energy, which can cause chemical reactions to take place. The paper comes in 30-sheet packs and (unlike the solar beads) the reaction is not reversible, meaning that the prints created by students are permanent and that the paper is not reusable. 

Related activities:

Solar Car

Solar Car
Description:

Developed by SunWind Solar, this kit can be used to build a single, geared solar car and includes a 1.5-Volt module. 

Related activities:
Solar Panel Construction, Orientation and Use Unit

Solar Classroom Set

Solar Classroom Set image
Equipment Type(s):
pre-built renewable energy kits
Subject area(s):
Powering a load
Simple solar circuits
Using a multimeter to measure current and voltage
Calculating power
Description:

Developed by Solar Schoolhouse, this classroom set contains thirty 0.5-Volt and four 3-Volt solar modules (commonly called “panels”), eighteen small DC motors with fan and wheel attachments and various other small loads. This set can be used to accompany the Teaching Solar Book and DVD.

Related activities:

Solar Machines Kit

Solar Machines Kit image
Equipment Type(s):
pre-built renewable energy kits
Subject area(s):
Building solar cars and other machines; Simple solar circuits
Description:

Developed by Sun Wind Solar, this kit contains fifteen 2-Volt modules, wheel sets, gears, dowels and all base materials required to build solar cars and other simple, solar-powered machines.

Related activities:
Solar Car Engineering Challenge Unit
Build Solar Cars
Collect Data...Then Compare and Contrast
Gears vs. Pulleys on Solar Cars
Solar Car Challenge: Background Research on Car Design

Solar Pathfinder

Solar Pathfinder
Description:

The Solar Pathfinder is an industry tool used to perform a shading analysis at a site in order to quantitatively determine the solar resource over the course of the year. 

Related activities:
Solar Pathfinder Tutorial
Solar Site Assessment

UV Color Changing Beads

UV Color Changing Beads
Description:

Developed by Steve Spangler Science, these white photochromic beads turn color when exposed to ultraviolet light. They can be used—especially with younger students—to reinforce the idea that light is energy that can perform work or to talk about the electromagnetic spectrum. 

Related activities:
Energy Changes Forms
Hypothesizing Why Solar Beads Change Color

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